Cotton-picker



(No Modell.)

D. RUGGLES.

Nirnn rares' Arent erica.

DANIEL RUGGLES, OF FREDERICKSBURG, ASSIGNOR TO EDIVAI-D S. RUG- GLES, OFFRIEDLAND, VIRGINIA.

COTTON-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,560, dated June 7,1881.

Application tiled March 2, 1881.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANinL RUGGLES, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Fredericksburg, in the county of Spottsylvaniaand State otVirginia, have invented a new and useful Cotton-Picker, ormachine for picking, extracting, and harvesting lintcotton from the bollor capsule when matured and ripe, of which the following is aspeciiication.

My invention consists ot'a lint-cotton picker, as a machine forautomatic action, and as a substitute or to supplement the human hand inpicking and gathering lint-cotton from the cotton-boli in the field,with a view ot' facilitating harvesting. I accomplish these objectsbythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l represents a longitudinal section ot' the entire machine. Fig.2 is a longitudinal elevation of a grappling-claw. Fig. 3 is an end viewof the revolving` disk, with its cap. Fig. 4 shows a modilied l'orm ofthe screw or fork, with its disk.

The same letter refers to corresponding parts of the machine.

A is a hollow cylinder, ofany required length and diameter, admittingot' section al extension.

B is a piston-rod, admitting also ot'sectional extension, carrying aspiral spring, a., and both contained within the cylinder, revolvingfreely in it. The piston-rod carries the slide U, in which it revolvesbetween two washers pinned to the rod. Said slide has slotted projectingarms c c, which are pinned to the slotted grappling-claws F F at Gr G,admitting ot' movement in the slots as the piston-rod is carried forwardand back within the cylinder,

bearing the slide C with it, on which one end of the spiral springrests, while the other end is attached'to the piston-rod, so as to closeand extend with it.

F F are two grappling-claws with slots G G, pivoted fulcrums ff, madesprings at b I), closing and grasping at e, when the piston-rod pressesforward the slide (l. v

D is a screw or fork, screwed to the pistonrod at E, and projecting itsprongs through the orifices h h in arevolving disk, H, fastened (Nomodel.)

by a cap, I, and is plunged by the spiral spring 5o into the cotton-boile, while held by the grappling-claws, and extracts the cotton when withdrawn, the disk sweeping it oft', and it drops into the netting d, whilethe grappling-claws open again. i represents a cutter attachment for theclaws.

The manner ot' operating and using my invention is as follows: Grasp thecylinder with the left hand and the piston-rod with the right 5 presswith the spiral spring and carry 6o forward the slide G as a wedge,closing the grappling-claws F F upon the cotton-boli e, into which thelint screw or fork plunges at the saine time with a revolving motion,and by revolution extracts the lint-cotton from the cotton-boli; thenwithdraw it by the piston-rod toward the disk H, where it is swept ordischarged from the prongs of the lint screw or fork as they arewithdrawn in the orifices h h, with their points stillprojectingslightly 7o through the disk, while the lint-cotton drops intothe small netting d., or other receptacle. The grappling-claws open atthe same time and are adj usted for closing on another cotton-hell.

Without the cotton-lint screw or fork the machine is adapted for pickingfruit.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thecombination of a hollow cylinder, A, containing arotatingand revolvingpiston-rod, 8o B, provided with a spiral spring, a, operating a rotatingscrew or fork, D, a revolving disk,

H h, fastened by a cap, I, at the end H ot' the cylinder, and slide C,with slotted arms c c, connected by pins g g with slots G Gr in thegrappling-claws F F, pivoted at ff as fulcrums, made springs at b b, andoperated as hereinbefore described.

2. 'Ihe combination of a hollow cylinder, A, containing a revolving andreciprocating pis- 9o ton-rod, B, provided with a spiral spring, a,operating a rotating screw or fork, as a hand cotton-picker, to extractcotton from the cotton-bell e, with a rotating disk, H h, held by thecap I, with a netting, d, to receive the cotton, the grappling-claws FF, made springs at b b, and pivoted as levers, with fulcrums at ff, foropening, closing, and grasping the cotton-boil, the slide C o c, inwhich the pistongovern the motions and action of the graprod revolves,operating substantially as herepiing-claws F F, with their cutterattachments lo inbefore described. i, operating in combinationsubstantially as 3,. The combination of a, hollow cylinder, A,hereinbefore described.

a revolving and reciprocating piston-rod, B, DANIEL RUGGLES. a spiralspring, a, grappling-claws F F, pivotcd Witnesses: at fnlcrnnis j'j,springs at b b, connected at JOHN C. TASKER,

the slots G Gr with the slide C c c, which F. H. SCHOTT.

